Metal-box-car construction.



W. P. BETTENDORF, DEGD.

J. W. BBTTENDORI, ADMINISTRATOR.

METAL BOX GAB. CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 1'7 1909.

1,031,232. Patented July 2,1912.

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, (If/y W. P. BETTENDORP, DEGD. J. w. BETTENDORP, ADMINISTRATOR.

METAL BOX GAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.17, 1009.

1,031,232. Patented July 2,1912.

6 8HEETS-SHIJET 2.

W. P. BETTENDORF, DEGD. J. w. BETTENDORI', ADMINISTRATOR. METAL BOX GAR CONSTRUCTION.

Patented July 2, 1912.

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APPLICATION rum) DEO.17, 1909.

Patented July 2, 1912. E 6 snnnrs-snnm 4.

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J. w. BETTBNDOBI, ADMINISTRATOR.

METAL BOX OAR CONSTRUCTION. uruonron FILED M5011. 1909.

1,031,232. Patented July 2, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

W. P. BETTENDORF, DEGD. J. w. BETTENDOBI, ADMINISTRATOR.

METAL BOX CAR CONSTRUCTION. uruonxofi TILED 13110.17, 1909.

Patented July 2, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. IBETTENDORE, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA; J. W. BETTENDORF ADMINIS- TRATOR OF SAID WILLIAM P. BETTENDORF, DECEASED.

' METAL-BOX-CAR CONSTRUCTION Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912'.

- Application filed December 17, 1909. Serial No. 533,605.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM P. BETTEN- DORF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metal-BoX-Oar Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My inventionrelates to freight cars and.

corners, is obviated; and otherwise to con' struct the cars so as to permit of the ventllation thereof and provide convenient access thereto, and so as to insure a strong, durable and economically made freight car. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described, the claims.

In the drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railroad car-embodying m in vention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation o the body of the same drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical sec- --tion of one end of the same taken on line 3,

Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a-transverse vertical sec tion thereof,taken on dotted line 4, 4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the said car taken on dotted line 5, 5, Fig. 3 the central portion thereof broken away. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse fragmentary section, of

the corner ventilating casting taken on line 6-6 Fig.8, and drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 7' is a vertical section thereof taken on linel7-7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on line 99, Fig. 7.

In the drawings 'A'represents a single I beam center-sill; B the needle-beams; O the channel beam side-sills, and D the end-sills of the underframe of my improved car. Further explanation of the underframe and floor of my improved car .is unnecessary herein as the same forms the subject-matter of Letters Patent of the United States, No. 986,422, dated March 7, 1911, for flooring for freight cars. v i

The skeleton for the body of the car, with the exception of the corners thereof, is entirely dispensed with, as will hereinafter more fully appear, and at the corners the and-as particularly pointed out in only frame-work consists of upright channel-beams, 'E, of suitable dimensions, each of which is stripped of its flanges below the,

plane of the floor, and then the web of the channel, is, midway between its flanges, bent transversely into an angle strip. The portion of the web extending below the floor is riveted or otherwise secured to the outer portions of the channel-beam side-sills and the end-sills adjacent to the corner. These corner. uprights E extend as high as the eaves-plates of the roof of the car, and their flanges above the floor project inward at right angles to each otherand providesurfaces-to w-hich'the inwardly flanged vertical edges 6 of the 'panels F, forming the sides and ends of the car, are riveted or otherwise suitably secured. This construction of the uprights E practically makes them tubular, with the exception ofthe space between the edges of their flanges, which enables the metal workers to insert their hands or tools within the space inc'losed thereby to facilitate the riveting of the vertical flanged edges of the panels to the flanges thereof.

The vertical flanges of the panels of the sides of the car-body and of the ends, Gr, thereof, when fastened together, take the place of the usual upright members or stud- .ding of the ordinary frame-work of the Wooden box-car, and they are further strengthened by depressing the central area of the same so as to make a one-panel sideplate', F, or a three-panel end-plate, as G. Below the floor the vertical flanges of these side and end-plates are removed and the plates are riveted directly to the'outer side of the web of the channel-beams constituting the, side-sills and end-sills of the underframe and the upper edges of these side and end plates are flanged inward and secured, by

and outside of the upper flanged edges of the'plates F The upper portions of these eavesplates are curved inward toward each other, and their upper edges are overlapped by'the longitudinally extending roof-plates it. There' may be several of these roofplates it between the cave-plates and the run ning-board H of the roof, andeach are constructed with their lower edges off-set to lap over the higher plain edge of the plate below it. The running-board consists of a longitudinally extending sheet metal plate which constitutes the central portion of the roof the running-board are supported by and secured to carlines, I, which latter consist of T-beams whosev ends terminates at and rest upon the flanges f of the eave-plates. These carlines are, preferably, continuous from end to end and bridge over from side to side of the car, and are inclined upward from their curved end portions to conform to the pitch of the roof, and at their centersof length are bent upward so as to come under and support the running-board, substantially as shown in Fig. l of drawings.

The upper .edges of the end-plates, G, terminate in the sameplane as the upper edges of theside-pla'tes, F, of the car-body, and are flanged inward and the end of the car above the plane of these plates, G, and between the same and the roof is closed by a plate, J the lower horizontal edge of which is, preferably, straight and overlaps the upper edges of said end-plates Gr. Near its lower edge, plate J has an inwardly projecting flange h that is riveted to the upper flanges of the end-plates, and the upper edge of said plate J. is inclined upward from each end to conform to'the pitch of the roof, and is likewise'flanged inward to afiord a support for the'ends of the roof-plates, and furnish the means for connecting the same, by rivets or otherwise to the ends of the car. I prefer, as shown in the drawings, to extend the ends of the running-board beyond the ends of' the car,'and to support its overhanging ends by means of brackets K, which latter are adapted to act as fillers to close the openings between the central port-ion of the upper edges of plate J and the underside of the running-board.

The ends of the plate, J, above the vertical plane of the.adjaeent edge of the uprights E, and the ends of the cave-plates, terminate a little short of the sides of the car, and the space thus left is occupied by corner-plates L, which are, preferably, made of cast metal. The body of each of these the car, and this vertical body portion has its upper and outer vertical side edges j, flanged to conform to the curvature of the adjacent ends of the cave-plates, and then depressed sons to form a depressed edge is, over which the end port-ions of'said eaveplates lap and are riveted or otherwise secured. The lower edge of the lowermost roof-plate overlaps the upper edge of the flanged portion is of corner-plate L, and the adjacent vertical end edge of the end-plate J, overlaps and is riveted or otherwise secured to the adjacent vertical flanged edge 1% of the corner-plate, substantially as shown in the drawings. :The flat vertical body portion of the corner-castings L, are provided with transverse openings 71, 41., therein, and

the outer sides of these openings, are protected by overhanging integral lips 0 that prevent the cinders and rain from passing through them.

4 I prefer to make each of the end-plates of the car with three panels, and to provide the central plates thereof with an upper and a lower door opening. The lower two of these panels (which are made by depressing-the metal) are, preferably, about square and nearly as wide as the plate. The dooropenings just mentioned are made by removing the sunken parts of the two lower panels, each of which is about square, with the exception of a narrow marginal portion, V, thus forming a frame for the dooropenings, the lower horizontal portions of which are reinforced by the Z-plates q. The doors, 0, for closing these openings, are made of rectangular sheet metal plates corresponding to the area of the panels, and are pivotally hung to the lower ends of suitable hangers P, the upper ends of which latter'are provided with bosses p having transverse trapezoidal openings therein through which the transverse horizontal track R passes. These tracks e'xtend toward the side of the car at the right of the open-' ings, and have their ends bent toward and secured to the end of the car, to hold the portion thereof on which the hangers slide, out from the car a suit-able distance.

Each door is, preferably, made with four sunken panels, and each has its edges bent backward parallel to its front soas to strengthen the same. Each is locked in place by means of a central spindle r, that extends out through an opening in the center of the door and has a suitable handle formed on its .outer end. On the inner. side of the H paneling the door. i This disk has oppositely located eccentric segmental grooves t, in it, which are engaged by'pins or studs project-- ing into the same from the adjacent ends of horizontal bolts Q, Q, which latter extend on each side of the disk beyond'the edges of the door, and move in horizontal channels on theinsideot' the same. When the spindle of the door-lock is turned to a horizontal position, the outer ends of the bolts areshot through openings in the edges of the door and intov holes in the side-frames of the door-opening, and when said handle is turned into aivertical position, these bolts are withdrawn from the holes in the sideframe of the door-opening and the door is then free to be swung outward to clear the opening, and free to he slid sidewise in front of the correspondingly closed panel in the side endplate of the car, whereupon it is pushed back into the closed panel, and the said handle turned into its horizontal position again and the bolts shot into holes T in the sides of closed panel, and thus lock the door in its open position.

When constructed inthe manner hereinbefore described my improved-car is strong and durable in construction, and permits perfect ventilation therethrough, particu-\ larly near the roof of the same,so that the heated air resulting from the exposure of the car to the sun, especially during the warm weather will, when the car is in motion be removed. The construction of the floor is such that it greatly strengthens the underframe of the car; is more durable than wooden floors, and also provides an oppor tuni'ty for the anchoring of freight through the medium of the nailing strips D. -The door openings in the ends of the car facilitate both the ventilation of the car, and, when it is used 'for cold storage, conveniently permits of access to its interior for icing. il l I havenot described herein the construction and operation of the sidedoor Z and its 'coacting parts, as the same constitutes the subject matter of a separate application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me, November 3rd, 1909, Serial No. 526,095 (Case 160).

What I claim as'new is 1. .A box-car, the ends of"which comprise end-sills, vertical sheet metal plates and transversely extending top-plates, said vertical plates having their lower portions lapping outside sof'and secured to said sills,

having their vertical ed essecured to the corresponding edges 0 v the companion plates, and having their upper portions securedto the lower horizontal edge-portions of the top-plates. A

2. A boxcar, the ends of which comprise end-sills, vertical sheet metal plateshaving their upper edges flanged inward, and'transvers'ely extended top-plates having their lower horizontal edges flanged inward, said vertical plates having their lower portions lapping outside of and secured to said sills, having their vertical'edges secured to the corresponding edges of the companion wallplates, and having theirupper flanges secured to thelower horizontalflanged edges of the top-plates.

3. A box-car comprising side-walls, and end-walls, said side-walls consisting of vertically arranged sheet metal plates the cenj tral portion of which is depressed to form a panel, and said end-walls consisting of similar plates depressed so as to a form three panels, the depressed areaof the central panel of one of which is cut away to form an opening into the car. a

4. A box car the ends of which comprise corner posts consisting of angle shaped metal beams, the upper ends of which terminate below the plane of the pitch of the roof, end e walls comprising vertically disposed plates whose upper edges terminate in the same plane as the upper ends of said posts, top-plates tothe lower edges of which the upperedges of said end wall-plates are secured and which extends transversely insub: stantially the same vertical plane as the cor ner posts, a roof having metal eaves-plates and cast-metal corner castings to which the ends of said top-plates, the eaves-plates and the posts are connected.

5. A box-(ear the ends' of which" comprise corner posts consisting of angle shaped metal beams,'the u per ends of which terminate belo'w'the p ane of the pitch of the roof, end-walls comprising vertically disposed plates whose upper edges terminate in the same plane as the upper ends of said posts, top-plates to the lower edges of which the upper edges of said end wall-plates are secured and which extends transversely in substantially the same vertical plane as the corner-posts, a roof having metal eaves-plates 110 and cast-metal corner-castings to which the ends of said top-plates, the eaves-plates and the osts are connected, and which have venti ation opening therein.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of-Deeemlocr, 1909.

f WILLIAM P. BETTENDORF. Witnessesi i 3 .i

A. B. FRENIER, W. G. RANSOM. 

